Environmental Consultant Rhona Turnbull repaid her bosses faith in her when she was tasked to carry out a review of the sustainability of her new workplace – and identified annual savings of more than £8000.
Rhona, who was appointed to spearhead the new Sustainability Services at Scotland’s leading workplace design specialist Space Solutions, decided to make her first project the company’s headquarters in Aberdeen.
Rhona’s key role involves conducting an Environmental Opportunities Assessment (EOA) to identify areas where businesses are missing opportunities to save cash and reduce their carbon footprint.
Rhona said: “I want to alert companies to the amount of money they are spending unnecessarily and how easy it is to significantly reduce their carbon emissions. Many alterations cost nothing but can make a huge difference.
“The Space Solutions office already had environmentally-friendly and energy- efficient fittings but looking at energy, water and waste I have managed to identify further savings.
“But for companies who really want to embrace being green there is a lot of substantial changes that can be made to their office space to see huge returns.”
The new Sustainability Services, which aim to help firms embrace environmental best practice, augment Space Solutions’ existing expertise in creating innovative, attractive and productive workplaces. The Sustainability team, which also includes Architect and licensed BREEAM Assessor Stuart Foster, supports and compliments the rest of the professional team of architects, designers, space planners, surveyors, project managers and relocation specialists.
During this economic downturn many businesses are looking at ways of reducing their company overheads. By making sustainable changes to their office space some businesses could potentially save the equivalent of a member of staff’s wages.
Steve Judge, Managing Director at Space Solutions, which has offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Peterborough, said he was surprised by the savings Rhona identified in their office and encouraged other businesses to follow suit.
He said: “We already had what we thought was an energy efficient office space so I have to say I was surprised when Rhona came back with her findings. The cost savings are substantial – we will certainly have her assessing each of our offices.
“Sustainability has never been higher on the agenda. A ‘green’ corporate image is becoming increasingly important for any business. Also, during this economic downturn many businesses are looking at ways of reducing their company overheads. By making sustainable changes to their office space some businesses could potentially save the equivalent of a member of staff’s wages.
”It made sense to launch the Sustainability Services now. We already assist with managing change in the workplace so we are uniquely placed to help ensure that this new challenge is also met.
“Not only can we help them make their buildings and operations more energy efficient, we can do it while helping them save money, increase productivity and improve staff morale.”
And soon businesses that are yet to embrace change will have a legal obligation to be aware of the efficiency of their buildings. From January 2009, all commercial buildings for sale or rent in Scotland will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which classifies their energy performance and makes recommendations on improvements. Owners face fines of up to £5000 if they do not have an EPC.
The new services have already generated a great deal of interest, with companies keen to find out how Space Solutions can help them reduce their carbon footprint and realise the benefits of having more sustainable practices.
